Kerala HC directs SIT to probe Sabarimala gold heist, top officials in focus

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate the aspect of criminal conspiracy in the Sabarimala gold theft.

After going through the preliminary investigation report submitted by the SIT, the High Court, in its interim order, directed the SIT to investigate the criminal conspiracy in the gold heist in the Sabarimala temple and to seize the Devaswom Board minutes and keep them in safe custody.

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The court said the investigation should not be confined to the lower levels of the Travancore Devaswom Board; the top-level officials should also come under the purview of the investigation.

A division bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar expressed satisfaction with the current investigation. The bench took up the matter in camera. A notification in this regard was issued by the High Court’s Registry on Monday.

Expressing serious doubts whether the Dwarapalaka sculptures returned were the same as those entrusted in 2019, the court said that every Devaswom official, including those in the highest hierarchy, bears responsibility for failing to weigh the idols at the time of refixation and to record the same in the mahzar.

The court examined the first report submitted by the SIT in a closed courtroom. To prevent the investigation information from being leaked, the court suo motu registered a new case, making the government, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), and the Devaswom Vigilance as the opposing parties.